Contents

11) Remove 5.25-inch Bay Cover Once the front panel is off, removing the 5.25-inch drive bay cover is a snap. Just press in on the plastic clips that hold it in place (there are two on each side) then pop out the cover. (If you're using the external 3.5-inch bay for your build, you would open that cover—shown just below the 5.25-inch cover here—in the same way.) Replace the cover when you're finished.

12) Install the Optical Drive This part's easy. Slide the optical drive into the 5.25-inch bay you just opened, until its bezel is flush with the front panel of the case.

13) Secure the Optical Drive Secure the optical drive to the bay with four of your remaining screws; use two for each side of the drive.

14) Connect the Front-Panel Wires Most of the heavy lifting is now done; all that remains is connecting the various cables and wires. Unfortunately, because the Element Q is such a small case, this is a bit more involved than usual. We had room in our build, but if you have above-average-size hands, you may want to connect the cables before putting the motherboard in the case; you'll face some limitations because of cable and wire lengths, but you might find that a better way to go. Regardless, you still have some things to plug in, such as the wires that drive the power and reset buttons and front-panel lights. Look at the manual so you know which of the four wires goes where, and then plug them in one at a time.

Matthew Murray got his humble start leading a technology-sensitive life in elementary school, where he struggled to satisfy his ravenous hunger for computers, computer games, and writing book reports in Integer BASIC. He earned his B.A. in Dramatic Writing at Western Washington University, where he also minored in Web design and German. He has been building computers for himself and others for more than 20 years, and he spent several years working in IT and helpdesk capacities before escaping into the far more exciting world...
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